Newsletter: Spring 2011Good Reading Habits Begin in Elementary School

Children in grades three and four are at a significant juncture for reading development. Until this age, most kids’ reading is centered on skills-building – it is often said that they are “learning to read,” as opposed to “reading to learn." Many children first begin reading chapter books in grades three and four, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, this is often the age at which parents begin to become more concerned about reading problems.

It is true that the transition from working with the basic elements of reading functionality to becoming an independent reader can reveal significant challenges. Some children who experience real difficulty with reading at this age may require intervention and the type of evaluation and support that practices like ours can provide. However, this milestone can also provide a key opportunity for parents to establish best practices for reading, which can yield major dividends throughout a child's life.

One “best practice” that can be fairly easy to implement is to set aside a regularly-scheduled, dedicated daily reading time. Just a 30 minute block at the same time each day (ideally, this should include weekends, holidays, and summer vacations) dedicated solely to reading for pleasure may be all it takes to establish a lifelong affinity for reading. Whenever possible, parents should try to join in and read along with children – doing so can help to establish that reading for pleasure is a regular part of everyone’s life.

Parents, teachers and clinicians are becoming more and more concerned with kids predilections toward screens – whether they be on computers, smart phones, televisions, gaming devices or other electronics. While all of these gadgets can have a positive role in the development of a learner if utilized appropriately, they can also be detrimental to healthy development if overused. One smart practice to help steer a young learner away from an unhealthy obsession with TV and electronic games is to avoid overexposing them to these devices between the ages of 8 and 9. Stipulating a regular, daily 30 minute block exclusively used for reading for pleasure – without the use of any electronic gadgets (even e-readers) can be an effective means of helping children avoid over-reliance on these gadgets and to help build a love for the process of reading. While some children may protest initially, if this regimen is strictly adhered to, over time, reading for pleasure on a daily basis will become second-nature.

"Whenever possible, parents should read along with children – doing so can help to establish that reading for pleasureis a regular part of everyone’s life."

So, you’ve managed to pull your third grader away from their Nintendo DS long enough to get them to crack open a book. What should they be reading? One idea is to find them serious, meaty books on subjects they really like – even if at the moment they may seem slightly difficult for them. Surprisingly, reading from magazines and even some (age-appropriate) comic books may not be so terrible either, especially if it earns parents some “buy-in” at the onset of this process. The publisher Scholastic has many great online resources for book suggestions and guidelines on how to help kids with reading, and book review sites (such as The Children’s Book Review and kid-written book review site Spaghetti Book Club) can point you in some good directions.

Libraries and brick-and-mortar bookstores can be great places for young readers to really get the “fever” for reading – for a young mind, they can seem like temples to books! Choose books together and they’ll really feel special. One useful tactic is for each of you to find a book that is appropriate to your own reading level, but on the same topic. This can enable meaningful discussions with kids that will both enhance their comprehension and make reading more enjoyable. Parents might even be surprised to find that a great method for adults to begin to learn about a complex subject is to read a children’s book about it.

Always try to keep a dictionary and encyclopedia around during “reading time.” When your child asks you to explain what a word means, instead of just telling them, help them look it up and ask them to explain what the dictionary says to you. This can help strengthen recall and comprehension skills as well. Just keep in mind that in order to maximize focus, it's not a good idea for kids to frequently interrupt reading -- so if a large number of words are unfamiliar, it might be best to keep a list to look up together later.

Getting children exposed to great reading habits early in their lives can help ease the transition into the increased complexity of later grades. Children who aren't enjoying reading in grades three and four may require some encouragement or help to get them in a good pattern. If children demonstrate extreme unhappiness at the notion of reading for pleasure, even after lots of ameliorating strategies have been implemented, seeking the guidance of a qualified professional may be indicated. For most kids, however, simply helping them remember to read for pleasure every day in elementary school can be a tremendously helpful step.

-- Jeremy Koren

Jeremy Koren is Director of Communications and Operations for The Yellin Center.